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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. court — of a king
  3. rest — a break
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of law
  10. cell — a phone
  11. craft — boats
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bank — for money
  15. shower — rain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cell — in biology
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — for sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com